Fodor's may use your email address to send you relevant information on site updates, account changes, and offers. For more information about your privacy and protection, please review our full Privacy Policy.

New ferry service between Panama and Colombia

After an absence of 16 years, scheduled ferry service betwen Panama and Colombia resumes again tonight. Pan American Seaways' Nissos Rodos will sail three times weekly in each direction between Colón, Panama, and Cartagena, Colombia. Departures are at 6 p.m. from either port, and the trip takes 12 hours. One-way passage starts at $99 for a seat. Dorm-style sleeping rooms and private cabins are available too, as is plenty of space for cars. (The Darien Gap makes it impossible to drive between North and South America.) No website at the moment. Tickets can be booked at 209-2000 in Panama.

I want to do the trip, but it'll have to be later this year. I'm working on the next edition of Fodor's Panama guide. A detour to Colombia just isn't in the cards right now.